Dealing with the financial crisis will be a focal point for cooperation between China and the United States for a period of time ahead.

On Wednesday visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reached the consensus that the two countries will continue the dialogues and coordination on the macroeconomic policies. They pledged to oppose protectionism in any form.

They agreed to play a due part in stabilizing the global financial situation, promoting reforms on international financial systems and institutions and helping the world economy recover as soon as possible.

Protectionism is raising its ugly head in the US. The “Buy America” clause in the Obama administration’s stimulus package has invited criticism home and abroad. The Congress passed the 2009 federal spending bill on Tuesday, with a section that does not allow for the lifting of the import ban on Chinese poultry products. Chinese Ministry of Commerce protested against the provision, taking it as a protectionist measure against Chinese poultry products.

Yang is in the US capital to pave the way for the first meeting between President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama at the G20 Summit in April in London. He and his US counterpart maintained that their upcoming meeting is of great importance to the Sino-US relations at a new beginning.

In a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Minister said China will work with the US to initiate the Sino-US strategic and economic dialogues as soon as possible.

The world are pining hopes on the two countries to work together so that the London meeting would make tangible progress and take concrete action steps toward a coordinated global response to stabilize the world’s economy and to begin a recovery.

“I think that the significant stimulus that the Chinese have already committed to is a very positive step,” said Hillary Clinton at the press conference after her meeting with Yang.

The two senior diplomats exchanged notes on a broad range of issues of mutual concern after a very productive meeting.

On the climate change and clean energy front, a meeting between the two countries’ environment officials is under discussion.

Also, the two countries will start a new round of anti-terrorism dialogues this year and resume the human rights dialogues.

The two countries remain divided on a slew of issues but they keep talks going.